Railway car hydraulically dampened roll stabilizer

ABSTRACT

A railroad car body has a crossframe above and extending approximately the width of the car truck. The proximal side of the crossframe is pivotally attached to the car body for movement about a horizontal axis. At one end of the crossframe, at a spaced distance from the proximal side, is an upright strut extending between the crossframe and the truck. The upper and lower ends of the strut are connected respectively to the crossframe and the truck by ball and socket joints. At the other end of the crossframe, and at the same distance from the proximal side, is an upright double-acting hydraulic energy absorber connected, by ball and socket joints, at the top to the crossframe and at the bottom to the truck.

United States Patent Astrowski 1 Feb. 22, 1972 [72] Inventor: Raymond M. Astrowski, 192 Lafayette Lane, Hoffman Estates, 111. 60172 [22] Filed: Mar. 16, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 19,804

[52] US. CL ..105/199 A, l05/164, 105/206, 105/210, 105/247, 105/453 [51] Int. Cl. ..B6ld 7/00, B6lf 3/02, B6lf 5/24 [58] FieldoiSearch ..105/164, 199 R, 199 A, 206 R,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,482,530 12/1969 Tack ..105/164 X 3,443,528 5/1969 Lipsius et a1. ..105/199 R X 3,486,466 12/1969 Rodgers 105/ 199 R Primary Examiner-Arthur L. La Point Assistant Examiner-Howard Beltran Attorney-Darbo, Robertson and Vandenburgh ABSTRACT A railroad car body has a crossframe above and extending approximately the width of the car truck. The proximal side of the crossframe is pivotally attached to the car body for movement about a horizontal axis. At one end of the crossframe, at a spaced distance from the proximal side, is an upright strut extending between the crossframe and the truck. The upper and lower ends of the strut are connected respectively to the crossframe and the truck by ball and socket joints. At the other end of the crossframe, and at the same distance from the proximal side, is an upright double-acting hydraulic energy absorber connected, by ball and socket joints, at the top to the crossframe and at the bottom to thetruck.

9 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures RAILWAY CAR HYDRAULICALLY DAMPENED ROLL STABILIZER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Sidewise rocking or rolling of railroad cars occurs to an extent such that it often can result in serious difficulties. A hopper car is one style of car that is particularly subject to problems in this respect.

Until recently, nearly all tracks in the United States were laid in standard 39-foot sections, therefore, a joint every 39 feet. The sections were laid with staggered joints. Thus the joints of the left-hand rail were approximately 19% feet from the joints of the right-hand rail.

Heavy wheel loads will cause low spots to develop at the rail joints. These low joints will result in a force being applied to a wheel each time the wheel passes over a joint (approximately every 39 feet). Because the opposite rail joints are staggered, the left hand wheel receives a force approximately half way between any two forces received by a right-hand wheel. This is an alternating rock and roll input to the wheels.

The l-ton hopper has a truck center distance (wheel base) of about 40 feet. This means that the leading set of wheels will hit a rail joint on the right side about the same time that the'trailing set of wheels will hit a rail joint on the right side. Therefore, the disturbing forces at the two tracks are in phase with each other.

' The 100 ton hopper has a spring mass of about 240,000 lbs. and a relatively high center of gravity. This results ina low natural frequency of approximately c.p.s. with a severe response amplitude. The resulting energy levels are beyond the capacity of normal ride control devices. The resonant frequency of a c.p.s. corresponds to a car speed of approximately 13.3 m.p.h. Thus the vibration becomes severe between and m.p.h.

The solution to the problem requires an energy absorbing device to cope with the high-energy levels encountered in the roll vibration made and at the same time not influence the normal vertical motions. The energy absorber must be double acting. It dissipates the energy of vibration, and may be a hydraulic friction, or'merely a rubber spring that dissipates energy due to hysteresis. Therefore, the shock absorber, could be a double-acting hydraulic cylinder, a dashpot, a snubber, or a rubber spring. The energy absorber does not restore the car body to the vertical position. It prevents theamplitude from building to a destructive level by absorbing and dissipating energy throughout its stroke. The shock absorber has a force on it only when opening or closing at some velocity. The force is in adirection to resist the motion of the car body.

The principal featured the device is that it is a means of isolating the problem and treating it, i.e., the roll mode of motion, without affecting the vertical mode of motion. Other devices do not isolate the two motions. By the application of an energy-absorbing shock absorber the roll mode of vibration is controlled without influencing the vertical ride, and the device does not respond to vertical motion. This gives two advantages:

The natural frequency in the vertical direction is much greater than the natural frequency roll. The chock absorber must be designed for a certain frequency. A shock absorber tuned for vertical vibration is too soft for roll vibration and it will react too severely to vertical bounc- Sinci the shock absorber will not respond to vertical bounce, the vertical bounce will not wear out the device. Furthermore, the device will be active only at or near the resonant speed," i.e., between 10 and 20 m.p.h. on fairly roughtrack.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention relates to a simple and effective apparatus for controlling the roll of a railway car body.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the end of a railroad hopper car;

FIG. 2 is a sectional end view of the structure of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged partial section of one of the'ball and socket connections;

FIG. 4 is a diagram of the motions occurring during the roll of the car body when utilizing the present invention; and

FIG. 5 is a partial elevation showing an alternate form of connection.

DESCRIPTION OF SPECIFIC EMBODIMENT Thefollowing disclosure is offered for public dissemination in return for the grant of a patent. Although it is detailed to ensure adequacy and aid understanding, this is not intended to prejudice that purpose of a patent which is to cover each new inventive concept therein no matter how others may later disguise it by variations in form or additions or further improvements. The claims at the end hereof are intended as the chief aid toward this purpose, as it is these that meet the requirement of pointing out the parts, improvements, or combinations in which the inventive concepts are found.

FIG. 1 illustrates an end of a railway hopper car, generally 10. The main underframe member is a longitudinal box girder 11. A bolster 12 is secured to girder 11 by a pin 13 which permits pivotalmovement of the bolster with respect to the underframe about a vertical axis. At each end, bolster l2 rests on springs 14, which in turn are carried by truck side frames or member 15. The axles-16, bearing wheels 17, are suitably journaled in bearings (not shown) mounted in bearing boxes I8 of the truckside frames. The structure thus far described is conventional and in and of itself does not constitute the present invention. The bearing boxes 18 would serve as the side members for those cars which do not have trucks.

Projecting from the end 21 of the car body are a pair of supports 22. A cross frame member, generally 23, is formed of two arms 24 and 25 and a crossbar 26-rigidly connected so that it will move as a unit. The distal side of frame member 23 is pivotally connected to supports 22 by pins 27. Thus, the frame member 23 is free to move about a horizontal axis with respect to the car body, but is restrained against any other movement with respect. to the car. A strut 30, of fixed length, is connected at its upper end to frame member-23 by a ball andsocket joint 31, and at its lower end to the truck side frame 15 by a ball and socketjoint 32. Joint 32 is illustrated in detail in FIG. '3. It comprises a base 33 welded or otherwise secured to truck side frame 15 and a cap 34 connected to base 33 by bolts 35. The base andcap define a socket 36 within which is received a ball 37, which ball is a part of strut 30. The upper ball and socket joint 31 is of similar configuration except that the socket portions are formed as a part of arm 24.

At the opposite end of crossframe .23 is a double-acting energy absorber in the form of a hydraulic cylinder apparatus (i.e., shockabsorber) comprising a cylinder body 39 within which is a piston (not shown) affixed to piston rod 40. The cylinder body has a rod 41 secured thereto. At the upper end of rod 41 is a ball forming a part of a ball and socket connection 42 with crossframe 23. Similarly, the lower end of piston rod40 has a ball thereon which forms a part of the ball and socket connection 43 with a side frame 15. The ball and socket joints 42 and 43 are similar to that illustrated in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 illustrates an alternate form of connection between rod 40 and side frame 15; The same connection can be used between rod 41v and arm 25 and for the mounting of rod 30. Here rod 40 has a bushing 48 in the end thereof, which bush ing has a semispherical internal opening forming a socket. In this internal opening is the ball portionof a sleeve 49. Sleeve 49 is carried on a pin 50 held on side frame 15 by supports 51. For assembly purposes, the bushing is-made in two pieces suitably coupled together.

When the hopper car starts to roll (fromwhatever cause) a force M is applied to the car'body tending to pitch it to one side or the other. As a result, the bolster l2 compresses the springs 14 at one side of the truck and relieves the springs at the opposite side of the truck. In effect, the body pivots about an imaginary point 45 in a sidewise direction, i.e., at right angles to the length of the rails upon which the car is running.

When this occurs, utilizing the present invention, the strut 30 moves between positions wherein the top ball and socket joint is at 31 and 31" in FIG. 4. Since the strut is fixed in length and member 23 isrelatively rigid, this results in an extension or compression of the energy absorber. With this cylinder apparatus fully compressed, the top ball and socket is at 42". With the reaction device fully extended, the top ball and socket is at 42'. If the truck pitches up and down (lengthwise of the car) with respect to the car body, there is no restraining action since the cross frame 23 and the connections to the truck move as a unit as the cross frame pivots about pins 27.

I claim:

1. An antiroll apparatus for use on a railroad car which car has a body part and supports therefor which include wheels at each end and a support part at each end between the wheels at the respective end and the body part, each said support part including side members, said apparatus comprising:

a crossframe at an end of the car extending approximately the width between said side members at said end and having ends over said side members respectively, said crossframe being relatively rigid so that a vertical movement at one end thereof is accompanied by a corresponding movement at the other end thereof;

first means pivotally connecting the crossframe to one of said parts for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis with respect to said one part;

second means extending upwardly between one end of said cross frame and the other of said parts;

upwardly extending energy absorbing means between the other end of said cross frame and the other of said parts; and

universal joint means connecting the ends of said energy absorber means to said cross frame and said other part respectively and connecting the ends of said second means to said cross frame and said other part respective- 2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said second means comprises an upwardly extending rigid strut.

3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said one part is said body part and the portion of said other part to which the universal joint means connect is said side members.

4. In a device as set forth in claim 2, wherein each of said universal joint means comprises a ball and socket.

5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said one part is said body part and the portion of said other part to which the universal joint means connect is said side members.

6. In a device as set forth in claim 4, wherein the first means restricts said frame member against movement with respect to the body other than said pivotal movement.

7. In a device as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said universal joint means comprises a ball and socket,

8. In an antiroll device for a railroad car having a car body above and extending at least the width of the car truck, the improvement comprising:

a first arm positioned at one side of the car body and pivotally connected to the body at the proximal end of the arm;

a second arm positioned at the other side of the car body and pivotally connected to the body at the proximal end of the second arm;

a crossbar rigidly connected to the two arms so that the arms will pivot as a unit;

energy absorbing means variable in length and yieldably resisting forces tending to change the length thereof, said means being generally upright between the distal end of one arm and said truck; universal oint means connecting the ends of said energy absorbing means to the distal end of the one arm and the truck respectively;

connecting means positioned generally upright between the distal end of the other arm and said truck; and

universal joint means connecting the ends of said connecting means to the distal end of the other arm and said truck respectively.

9. A device as set forth in claim 8, wherein said connecting means is a rigid strut.

UNITED STATES PATENT swish CERNFECATE 0F EQECHN Patent No. 3,643,602 Dated February 22, 1972 1nventor 5 Raymond M. Astrowski It is certified that error appears in the aboveidentified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

Column 1, line 61, after "frequency" should be inserted in. Column l, line 61, "chock" should read -shock.

Column 2, line 31, "member" should read members-.

Column 3, line 25, after "car" should be inserted and-.

Signed and sealed this I 8th day of July 1 972.

(SEAL) Attest: I

EDWARD M.FLETGI-IER,JR. ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer Commissioner of Patents FORM po'wso (169) uscoMM-Dc 60376-1 69 U.S, GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE 1 I959 O365"334 

1. An antiroll apparatus for use on a railroad car which car has a body part and supports therefor which include wheels at each end and a support part at each end between the wheels at the respective end and the body part, each said support part including side members, said apparatus comprising: a crossframe at an end of the car extending approximately the width between said side members at said end and having ends over said side members respectively, said crossframe being relatively rigid so that a vertical movement at one end thereof is accompanied by a corresponding movement at the other end thereof; first means pivotally connecting the crossframe to one of said parts for pivotal movement about a horizontal axis with respect to said one part; second means extending upwardly between one end of said cross frame and the other of said parts; upwardly extending energy absorbing means between the other end of said cross frame and the other of said parts; and universal joint means connecting the ends of said energy absorber means to said cross frame and said other part respectively and connecting the ends of said second means to said cross frame and said other part respectively.
 2. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein said second means comprises an upwardly extending rigid strut.
 3. An apparatus as set forth in claim 2, wherein said one part is said body part and the portion of said other part to which the universal joint means connect is said side members.
 4. In a device as set forth in claim 2, wherein each of said universal joint means comprises a ball and socket.
 5. An apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein saiD one part is said body part and the portion of said other part to which the universal joint means connect is said side members.
 6. In a device as set forth in claim 4, wherein the first means restricts said frame member against movement with respect to the body other than said pivotal movement.
 7. In a device as set forth in claim 1, wherein each of said universal joint means comprises a ball and socket.
 8. In an antiroll device for a railroad car having a car body above and extending at least the width of the car truck, the improvement comprising: a first arm positioned at one side of the car body and pivotally connected to the body at the proximal end of the arm; a second arm positioned at the other side of the car body and pivotally connected to the body at the proximal end of the second arm; a crossbar rigidly connected to the two arms so that the arms will pivot as a unit; energy absorbing means variable in length and yieldably resisting forces tending to change the length thereof, said means being generally upright between the distal end of one arm and said truck; universal joint means connecting the ends of said energy absorbing means to the distal end of the one arm and the truck respectively; connecting means positioned generally upright between the distal end of the other arm and said truck; and universal joint means connecting the ends of said connecting means to the distal end of the other arm and said truck respectively.
 9. A device as set forth in claim 8, wherein said connecting means is a rigid strut. 